The invention generally relates to an apparatus for testing an electronic device, more particularly to the apparatus for performing the test at a lower cost.
Conventionally, an apparatus of the type described is used to test an electronic device, such as an IC device, which has a great number of electrodes or electric leads on a surface. To this end, the apparatus has a main body, a measurement board on the main body, and a mounting member or socket for mounting or accommodating the electronic device. The measurement board has a plurality of pads or terminals laid on its surface. The mounting member is mounted on the measurement board to accommodate the electronic device on testing the same and serves to electrically connect the electrodes or electric leads of the electronic device to the pads of the measurement board.
To this end, a plurality of contact chips are arranged within a bottom surface of the mounting member so that they are partially projected from the bottom surface towards the electronic device and the measurement board.
With this structure, each electrodes on the electronic device can be mechanically contacted with a corresponding pad of the measurement board through each contact chip when the electronic device is mounted or accommodated within the mounting member. In this situation, it is possible to test the electric leads of the electronic device by the use of the apparatus.
However, the respective pads of the measurement board should be brought into contact with the contact chips and wiped with the pads.
Herein, it is to be noted that the pads of the measurement board are repeatedly contacted or wiped with the contact chips a great number of times because a great deal of electronic devices must be tested by the apparatus. Under the circumstances, it is readily understood that each pad of the measurement board is gradually scraped and worn away finally. This shows that the measurement board should be replaced or exchanged by a new one. However, the measurement board is very expensive because a complex electronic circuitry is integrated thereon.